Things will be coming to an end very soon within the next couple of chapters. HOWEVER! Do not fear there will be a sequel to this story because I have sooooooooooooooo much more I will be doing wit this. You will see what I mean : ))))) You guys are awesome! ENJOY!

I dont own Naruto. kthanksbye.

Itachi

The wind and rain made it impossible to see anything more than a foot in front of me. Such a vicious storm is to be expected in the Land of Earth.

"Sakura!" I yelled over the howling wind.

A hand grabbed my shoulder.

"I lost Sakura and Sasori, yeah!" Deidera yelled into my ear.

This storm had completely thrown off our sense of direction and split up our formation.

"We have no time to waste! You and Kisame continue on towards Orochimaru's hideout, I will find Sakura!"

Deidera nodded and summoned his clay bird, climbing on to its back. Not even a second after it tried to take flight the bird was blown into a tree I was standing next to.

Picking him up by his collar and fed up with his ignorance I glared into his eyes.

"Travel on foot, Deidera!"

Snatching the collar of his cloak from my grasp he cursed aloud to himself and took off running into the storm, causing me to lose sight of him.

"Idiot. What did he think would happen?" I said to myself.

My attention was pulled away from Deidera by a bright blue bolt of lightning striking the tree beside me.

Jumping back to distance myself from the tree, I instantly recognized that had been no ordinary lightning bolt. The chances of lightening striking the tree I happened to be standing next to were less than one in a thousand.

"Little brother. You've come to try and stop us all by yourself. Still as arrogant and foolish as always." I said aloud to myself.

Suddenly I was knocked into the ground by a collision.

Jumping to my feet immediately I pulled my kunai out.

"Hey watch where the hell you're going its already hard enough to see in the damn storm!"

The jinchuriki?

He stood, regaining his balance and looked up at me, his eyes had a strange orange tint to them. Observing his features further I recognized that jutsu. The boy was in sage mode, which could only mean one thing. He was tracking either Orochimaru for Sauske or the Akatskui looking for Sakura.

"YOU!" he screamed pointing a single finger at me.

"Where is Sakura!?" he yelled.

"I do not have time to waste on you Naruto Uzamaki."

"Yeah well I'm not letting you get away!" he formed a hand sign.

"Shadow cone jutsu!"

At least two dozen shadow clones surrounded me. Foolish child. If he had any chance of fighting to save Sakura or Sauske he was wasting his chakra on me.

My sharigan allowed me to easily anticipate each attack from all his show clones, cutting them down with taijutsu and my kunai.

Catching his gaze with my eyes I caught him in a genjutsu.

I watched him grab his chest and fall to his knees coughing.

To him, inside my genjutsu I had just drove my kunai straight through his heart.

"NO!" he screamed. "That won't work on me this time Itachi! RELEASE!"

What!? Had he broken through my genjutsu?

"I can see straight through your mind games in sage mode. It's no use." He smiled triumphantly.

Fed up with childs play, I wove hand signs "Firestyle! Fireball jutsu!" my flames burned so bright in the dark of the rainstorm I couldn't see if I landed a direct hit.

"I told you in sage mode im different." His voice came from behind me.

I turned around deflecting his kunai attack with my own.

One hand held our kunai in a deadlock and I used the other to land a punch on his stomach. The second his grip loosened I swung my leg and uppercut him with my foot causing him to fly backwards.

The boy recovered quickly. At this rate if I didn't end this fast, I was going to lose any trace of Sakura in this rain storm. Resulting to methods I never thought I would have to I closed my eyes and focused.

"Amaterasu!" a curtain of black flames formed in between the leaf ninja and I.

"DAMN YOU!" he screamed from the other side.

I immediately took of running to search for Sakura. A jolt of pain rushed through my head. Grabbing my aching head I felt a trickle a blood escape my eye. My vision began to blur.

"Dammit!" I cursed aloud.

I had used entirely too much chakra on one small side battle. I could only hope I had enough to endure the battle ahead.

Sakura

"S-Sauske!?" I stood there wide eyed and baffled.

Grabbing me by my arm he pulled me taking off into a sprint.

I didn't understand how he was running like this at full speed when it was impossible to see no more than a foot in front of you.

His grip on my arm tightened and he pulled me forward into his arms embracing me in a hug as he jumped into the air. As we started to descend I was able to see that Sauske had just jumped off of the edge of a cliff.

"Are you insane!?" I screamed.

We plunged into the river below. Sauske dragged me by my wrist underwater, swimming into an opening. I gasped for air as we broke through the surface.

"Sauske! What are you doing?!" I climbed out of the water looking around.

We were in an underground cave right off of the river.

"Kaubto returned from a mission I had no knowledge of about six weeks ago. I overheard your name in the conversation about the Akatskui. I had to see if it was true. Judging by your cloak, I assume it is." He stared at me intensely.

Without saying a word I ran up to him and embraced him in a hug. I heard him gasp in surprise.

"Sauske after all this time….why?...we've all been so worried…..please come home….." I sobbed.

Grabbing me by my shoulders he pushed me away from him.

"Sakura, listen. Orochimaru is going to use you to heal his arms after that he will kill you."

"I know."

"What? What do you mean you know?" he looked surprised.

"Sauske….there's so much you don't know."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I was kidnapped by the Akatskui about six months ago during a battle, Itachi was going blind and abducted me to have me heal his eyes." I started.

I continued on telling Sauske about Kabuto and how he lied about his deal with the Akatskui, I told him about the battle with Aoi and Kabuto, my training, and my proposition with the leader.

Sasuke sat there with his mouth hanging open.

"Sakura…you've been through all of that for Naruto and I. Why?"

After all these years Sauske still didn't understand. Well….he understand why I don't think he could understand how I could still feel the way I do about him after all that he's done over these past five years.

"Sauske, you and Naruto are my family. The village, our comrades, Konoha I live and I will die for them; for you. I love you all with my whole heart."

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "You're still an annoying, naïve, little girl."

Normally his words would have cut like a knife through my heart, but I was no longer that little thirteen year old Sakura always crying and standing in the background useless. I narrowed my eyes and him and poked him in his chest with my finger.

"You listen to me Uchiha! I only told you half of what I have been through, everything Naruto and I have done to save you and you still act like a stuck up, arrogant, snob! You're not that cool and you're the naïve one! Risking losing your body to Orochimaru all to seek revenge on Itachi! Grow up Sauske! Letting hatred consume you like that, you're basically Orochimaru's little bitch! So shut up because as of today you are coming home to Konoha!" I was nearly out of breath by the end of my rant.

"Sakura?" he pinched his eyebrows together and tilted his head.

"Did you not hear anything I just said to you?!" I balled my fists up ready to punch him if he said no.

"Why am I sensing two different chakra signatures within you?"

I froze. My heart temporarily stopped. My mind stopped functioning and I couldn't seem to find the words to speak.

Wide eyed and caught off guard, I locked eyes with Sauske. Reading my facial expression and observing my lack of response he narrowed his eyes.

"No…it can't be…..you aren't? Saukra? Please tell me you're not….who's is it?" he stumbled over his words.

I knew what I was about to say to him would change everything but it was the only thing that could prevent Sauske and Itachi from killing each other. I hadn't planned on telling Sauske like this, I planned on telling them together at once, but at this point lying was out of the question. I had lied long enough.

I leaned in and whispered my secret into Sauske's ear.

"Guys the storm is finally subsiding!" Ino yelled back towards Shikamaru and Neji.

"Let's pick up speed, my ninja hounds can smell again now that the rain has subsided. We got lucky, despite the rain we stayed on track and are extremely close." Kakashi leaned on a tree branch and pushed off with his feet, taking off into the air again.

"Sensai, we are approaching a fire." Neji warned. "Naruto is there."

"Is he okay!?" he asked.

"He's fine it looks like he's trying to find a way around." He reassured her by checking with his byankugan.

Catching up to the fire, they descended from the trees.

"Naruto what happened here?" Shikamaru asked.

Black flames?" Neji questioned.

"You ran into Itachi I see." Kakashi sighed.

"Yeah, he got away thanks to these stupid black flames! And it's still raining so why aren't they going out!?" Naruto yelled.

"Amaterasu…..inextinguishable black flames that only burn out once they've devoured everything they were meant to destroy. The most powerful flames in fire nature. " Kakashi explained.

"Well know what are we going to do?" Shikamaru asked.

"There's away a round it, I can see it. Ascend back into the trees" Neji ordered.

Taking off into the trees Neji easily rerouted them around the black flames.

They continued travel for another half hour before one of Kakashi's hounds sounded off.

"Stop." Kakashi ordered.

"What's wrong Sensai?" Naruto sensed something.

"We're here."

Looking around at nothing but trees a river and a cliff, Naruto couldn't understand how a river bank in the middle of a forest could be Orochimaru's hidden layer.

"Uh Sensai….there's nothing here." Naruto said.

"Of course there isnt you idiot, its called a HIDDEN LAYER for a reason." Ino snorted disgusted by his ignorance.

Looking around shikamaru contemplated and observed. Orochimaru wouldn't make access to his layer easy. It would be something that required effort and thinking skills. Scanning his surrounding Shikamaru noticed the cliff. Following the river, he made his way downstream towards the drop off. Looking down he noticed a waterfall and another river bank at the bottom.

"There. He's down there." Shkimaru pointed to the waterfall.

After a moment of contemplating Kakshi understood.

"Ah…very nicely done Shikamaru. A sharp mind as always." Kakashi patted his shoulder.

"Ok, can someone tell me what I'm missing? I don't see anything!' Naruto squinted his eyes, whipping his head back and forth trying to see what they were seeing.

"Down at the bottom of the waterfall you moron. Orochimaru is most likely underground living like the snake that he is. We are going to have to jump." Shikamaru explained.

"Alright then let's go!' Naruto took off running but Kakashi caught him by the arm.

"You need to listen, stop being hasty there's more." He reprimanded.

"Once we get down there everyone need to swim underwater and look for anything that looks like it could be an entrance. The land hidden in the grass tends to have many underwater caves that lead to giant tunnels and more caves. If Kakashi's hounds are tracking the scent in this area, then underground is the only logical place to look." Shikimaru approached the edge.

"Alright let's do this." Ino braced herself.

All five of them jumped off one by one landing in the river below.

Scanning the ground beneath the river Neji had the upper hand. Within seconds his Byankugan revealed a large opening. Coming up for air Neji waited for the other to do the same.

Ino came up first, followed by shikamaru and Kakashi.

"Where is Naruto?" Ino sighed.

Naruto swam by Kakashi underwater and kakashi reached out a hand pulling him to the surface by his hair.

"Hey what the hell!?" he started.

"I have found an entrance." Neji interjected.

"Then what are we waiting for let's go!"

"Naruto wait. You all need to remember we have been separated from ANBU thanks to that storm. We don't know what we may encounter in there. Remember your training and remember the words lady Tsunade spoke to you before we departed the village. We are here to save Sakura and Sakura only. Choose your battles wisely." Kakashi purposely turned his attention to Naruto as he spoke."

"Hai, Sensai" they all agreed collectively.

Naruto knew deep in his heart that there was no way he was walking out of there without Sauske and Sakura.

"I'm sorry sensai" he thought to himself as they all followed neji descending into the water.

Itachi

I caught up to Deidera, Kisame and Sasori after the battle with the Nine Tails child.

Kisame was smart enough to search the rivers for entrances while Deidera search the ground from the skies above.

Kisame had discovered an underground entrance, in a river at the bottom of a waterfall. We had swam into the entrance and ended up in a dry underground cave with long tunnels.

I could faintly sense Sakura's chakra nature.

"She was here, and she is still close." I focused on the extremely faint chakra signature.

"That mean's Orochimaru is this way then, yeah?" Deidera asked

"Hn" I took off running down the long tunnels.

I was certain Sauske had taken her when she became separated during the storm. Those were no ordinary lightning bolts and it wasn't by chance they struck the tree I was standing next to.

As I made my way down the tunnels I had an unfamiliar tugging in my chest and the intense desire to see Sakura. I needed to visibly see her with my own eyes to confirm her safety.

You finally admit you care for her.

She is mine, I must keep her safe.

You are afraid.

I fear nothing.

I halted to a stop at the sight of six different entrance ways.

"Well this is extremely inconvenient" Sasori observed.

"Perhaps we should split up." Kisame suggested.

"Or just take a guess, yeah?"

I activated my sharigan; Quietly observing he turned his attention to the ground. There were tiny, subtle pink silk like strands. So subtle only his sharigan would catch sight of them. She had left a trail with strands of her hair.

"Clever girl." I said aloud.

"What?" Deidera asked.

"Sakura has left strands of her hair behind for us to follow. She's this way." I took off running into the 5th tunnel from the left.

Approaching the end of the tunnel I saw light and heard voices.

"You foolish girl!" Orochimaru's voice echoed.

"I'd rather die than help you!" Sakura sounded strong and determined.

As I cleared the tunnel he stepped into a large well lit cave, similar looking to the one they extracted the one tail out of the 3rd kazakage in.

Orochimaru and Sakura were face to face, as Kabuto restrained her with her hands bend behind her back.

He looked down at Sakura's stomach, then back at her, smiling like she had just revealed a new forbidden jutsu to him.

"It looks like someone has been keeping a little secret." He laughed maliciously.

My attention was stolen by another figure in the room. Sauske.

He was approaching me head on, chidori activated.

"I have waited for this day for so long. Today I will avenge our clan Itachi!" he came running full speed aiming for my heart.

I easily side stepped his attack, ramming my kunai into his shoulder. I didn't have time to fight him right now there were more important matters.

"Sauske, I have no interest in you at the moment" I deflected a kick to the throat.

"Do not brush me off like your annoying little brother! We aren't children anymore Itachi face me like a man!"

He threw a shiruken in my direction, jumping in the air to avoid it I landed on my feet easily.

"Sauske I told—"

I was cut off by another shiruken ramming into my leg. A second shiruken hiding in the shadow of another?

"I told you, I'm not the younger brother you once knew." He smiled.

"Itachi! Sauske stop this! Don't fight!" Sakura pleaded.

"You've even managed to make Sakura betray the leaf. You're poison, she told me everything." He spat.

"You're one to talk Sauske, You are a rouge ninja." I pulled the shiruken out of my leg not even flinching at the pain.

I didn't have enough chakra left to fight sauske and Orochimaru. The fight with the nine tails boy took for effort than I had planned.

"You kidnapped her and brainwashed her!" he yelled.

"I abducted her yes. However Sakura has made her own decision to join the Akatskui on her own free will." I responded.

"She has risked everything for you and you don't even have the slightest clue of what I'm talking about! She's protecting something precious of yours that you don't even know about! How did such a selfless, strong, foolish girl fall in love with someone like you!" he roared.

Our argument was interrupted by the nine tails boy and a group of leaf ninja bursting through the tunnels. The nine tails boy looked like he was about to speak and instead stared past me wide eyed.

Sakura let out an blood curdiling scream that caused even me to flinch at the sound.

"NOOOOO! PLEASE DON'T'! MY BABY! NOT MY BABY!"

Sauske and I instantly turned around to see Kabuto's kunai rammed into Sakura's stomach, cutting her flesh surgically.

For the first time panic caused me to monetarily freeze.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" the nine tails boy yelled breaking me out of my trance.

I immediately was at Kabuto's side stabbing him in the neck. Still he refused to loosen his grip on the kunai cutting into Sakura.

Her screams filled the room, causing my anger to boil over.

Sauske approached the other side of Kabuto grabbing him by the neck.

"Let her go!" he demanded.

"I must have the Uchiha child! Lord Orochimaru needs the child!" he sounded possessed.

Uchiha child? What was he talking about?

"Enough of this." I grabbed both his wrists snapping them in half easily.

With both wrists now broken he could no longer maintain his grip on the kunai.

I instantly stole Sakura from his arms and held her in mine. She was losing a substantial amount of blood.

"Kabuto!" Orochimaru hissed.

Somehow, managing with broken wrists Kabuto went diving towards the ground taking Sauske with him, biting his finger and summoning Orochimaru's snake. Sauske quickly removed the kunai from Kabuto's neck, replacing it with the grip of his hands, twisting it to the side with a snap! Kabuto fell lifeless to the ground.

Sauske looked at me holding Sakura in my arms.

"If you care for her at all, save her and leave this to me." He said as he summoned his own snake.

Leaving Sauske to battle Orochimaru I turned my attention back to Sakura.

Her normally bright jade eyes were wet with tears, and becoming dull and lifeless.

"Itachi…..please….save the baby…..save our daughter."

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